Officials seek to allay concerns about troubled teen school in Terra Linda

In response to concerns from some neighbors in Terra Linda, officials have rolled out a publicity campaign of sorts to explain plans to move a school for troubled teenagers there from Santa Venetia.

"It's been referred to as a dog-and-pony show," Luke McCann, assistant superintendent at the Marin County Office of Education, said Thursday at one of several public meetings held in recent weeks. "What we are trying to do is communicate that we are prepared to run a well-supervised program that is successful."

The education office, which functions as school district for specialized programs, opened the Marin County Community School in 1982 to serve students with truancy problems, and those who have been expelled from other schools or referred by juvenile probation officers. Since then, the school has operated in several locations in Terra Linda, Novato and, most recently, a former church property next to the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center on North San Pedro Road in Santa Venetia.

As more troubled students have been retained at their regular schools, the community school has shrunk by about half to 40 students, leading administrators to give up part of their space and, ultimately, their entire lease.

Administrators now plan to spend about $3 million to build new space — the equivalent of about five classrooms — at the education office site at 1111 Las Gallinas Ave. in Terra Linda.

The move has sparked criticism from some neighbors who say they were kept in the dark about the plans until last month.

"One would think that, especially when you are relocated a school with at-risk youth there would be some kind of notification of the neighborhood that this is going on," Terra Linda resident Matt O'Brien said in an interview. "I know neighbors who purposefully didn't buy a house in that North San Pedro area because of the community school."

O'Brien said administrators have not looked hard enough for alternative sites.

He was one of about a dozen residents who turned out to last week's forum. The audience heard presentations from several administrators and two police officers, all of whom sought convey the same message — that Community School is a well-run institution that changes students lives.

Karen Allen, the school's program manager, said numerous adults work with the students, including teachers, administrators, therapists, counselors and police officers.

"We have a have a staff that is a very unique group of people," she said. "These are people who care deeply for our program. They care deeply for the students."

Among the speakers at the forum were a former student who is now in college, and a father of a former student who lives near the Santa Venetia campus.

The father, Mark Dale, said he noticed Community School students crossing the street near his home in the past, but knew little about the program until his son ran into trouble and ended up there.

"At many school sites your kids unfortunately can fall through the cracks," he said. "They take the kids, they work with the kids, they really just embrace the kids."

Officials plan to re-open Community School in Terra Linda in January, and will use existing space on-site until construction is complete.